The Best Gift Cards to Buy (And How to Get Cashback on Them)

Introduction:

Most people buy a gift card, hand it over, and call it done.

What they don't realise is that the way they bought it matters just as much as what's on it.

Because the right payment method turns every gift card purchase into a savings move. And in Singapore, where gift cards from brands like Grab, Shopee, FairPrice, and Netflix are everywhere, that adds up faster than you'd expect.

Why Gift Cards Are Actually a Smart Spending Tool

Gift cards get dismissed as a lazy gifting option. They're not.

When used deliberately, they're one of the cleaner ways to manage spending, stretch a fixed budget, or lock in value on brands you already use every month.

A few reasons people reach for them:

• They remove the guesswork from gifting. You're not guessing what someone wants; you're giving them the freedom to choose.

• They create built-in spending limits. Useful if you're trying to stick to a monthly dining or entertainment budget without relying on willpower alone.

• They're accepted almost everywhere. From physical stores to online checkouts, most major Singapore brands have gift cards or vouchers available in digital or physical form.

The gift card market in Singapore is expected to grow by 9.2% in 2026, reaching US$1.71 billion. Singaporeans are already using them more than ever, and the options have expanded significantly across retail, dining, travel, and digital categories.

Best Gift Cards to Buy in Singapore (2026)

Here's a look at the gift card categories worth knowing, and the brands that dominate each one.

Retail and Grocery:

FairPrice gift vouchers and e-vouchers are consistently among the most practical in Singapore. Available in S$20, S$50, and S$100 denominations, they cover everything from weekly grocery runs to household essentials. Sheng Siong and Cold Storage also have voucher options worth considering.

E-Commerce:

Grab, Lazada, and Shopee have emerged as top gift card catalog options in Singapore, supported by platforms like Giftbit's March 2025 launch offering API-based fulfillment for enterprise buyers. For individual use, Shopee gift cards are popular for fashion, electronics, and lifestyle items. Lazada gift vouchers work across a similarly wide range.

Dining and Food Delivery:

Grab gift cards double up as food delivery credit, ride-hailing payment, and GrabPay wallet top-ups. Foodpanda also offers gift vouchers that can be used across hundreds of restaurant partners.

Entertainment and Streaming:

Netflix gift cards remain one of the most gifted digital options in Singapore. Spotify gift cards are useful for those who haven't moved to annual subscriptions yet. Nintendo eShop cards and PlayStation Store gift cards are solid choices for gaming.

Travel:

Klook gift cards and Agoda vouchers are gaining traction among Singaporeans who travel frequently or plan staycations. They work for both local attractions and overseas bookings.

How to Earn Cashback When Buying Gift Cards

Here's where most people leave money on the table.

They chose the right gift card. They hand over cash or tap with whatever card is in their wallet. And they earn nothing back.

The smarter move is to pay with a card that gives you cashback on the purchase itself before the gift card has even been used.

That way, you're essentially getting a discount on the gift card. And if the recipient uses it on top of any store promotions or Shopee/Lazada sale events, the savings stack.

The Circles Zerofy Cashback Card earns 1% instant cashback on all eligible online and contactless purchases with no minimum spend and no cap on the base cashback rate.

When you buy a S$100 Shopee gift card online, you earn S$1 back immediately.

When you buy five S$100 gift cards across the month for Netflix, Grab, FairPrice, Lazada, and a birthday present, you're earning S$5 back in real time.

It's not dramatic on a single transaction. But across regular monthly spending on gift cards, subscriptions, and everyday purchases, it compounds into something meaningful.

Why Most People Miss This Hack

There are two reasons.

First, people don't think about their payment method when buying gift cards. It feels like a small purchase. They tap and move on.

Second, most cashback cards in Singapore come with conditions. Minimum monthly spend. Specific merchant categories. Cashback caps. Annual fees. And sometimes, gift card purchases are explicitly excluded from earning rewards.

The standard foreign transaction fee for most Singapore cards is 3.25%. If you're buying digital gift cards from international platforms like an iTunes gift card or a Steam card billed in USD, you're already paying extra before you even open the gift.

Zerofy flips this. No FX fees. No minimum spend. No annual fee. Cashback confirmed instantly.

How the Circles Zerofy Cashback Card Works for Gift Card Purchases

The Zerofy Cashback Card is a Visa Platinum debit card managed entirely through the Circles.Life app.

You top it up via PayNow. You use it anywhere Visa is accepted online and via contactless. Cashback hits your card instantly after each eligible transaction.

There are two cashback tiers:

• Baseline: 1% instant cashback on all eligible online and contactless purchases, no caps, no minimum spend.

• Upsized: Up to 27% instant cashback on selected Zerofy partner merchants when you shop through the Circles.Life app.

So if Shopee or any other platform you use regularly is a Zerofy partner, you earn the baseline 1% on the card plus the upsized partner cashback on top of that.

It's also regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and powered by Airwallex, so the infrastructure is solid.

To activate it, you need an active Circles.Life plan. A quick eKYC via Singpass and you're set in minutes.

Example: A Monthly Spending Strategy Using Gift Cards and Cashback

Here's what this looks like in a real month:

That's S$3.30 back from S$330 in gift card purchases alone. Add your regular subscriptions, food delivery, and online shopping through the card, and the cashback grows further.

No minimum spend. No cap. No waiting until the end of the month to see where you stand.

Conclusion

Gift cards are already a smart way to spend. What turns them into a savings tool is how you buy them.

Most people pick a card that limits cashback to specific categories, requires a minimum monthly spend, or excludes gift cards entirely. Then they wonder why their rewards feel so thin.

The Circles Zerofy Cashback Card earns 1% cashback on all eligible online and contactless purchases, instantly. No tricks. No conditions to decode.

If you're already buying gift cards for yourself, your family, or colleagues regularly, start earning something back on every one.

Sign up for Circles.Life plan to activate your Zerofy Cashback Card and start earning on every purchase, gift card, or otherwise.

FAQs

Can you earn cashback on gift cards in Singapore?

It depends on your card. Many Singapore credit cards exclude gift card purchases from earning rewards. The Circles Zerofy Cashback Card earns 1% instant cashback on all eligible online and contactless purchases with no caps and no minimum spend, making it one of the more practical options for gift card buyers.

Are gift cards worth buying in Singapore?

Yes. Gift cards from brands like FairPrice, Grab, Shopee, Netflix, and Klook are widely accepted and practical for everyday use. When bought with a cashback card, they become even more valuable since you earn rewards on the purchase itself before any in-store promotions or platform discounts kick in.

What is the best card for buying gift cards in Singapore?

Look for a card with no minimum spend, no cashback caps, and no exclusion on gift card purchases. The Circles Zerofy Cashback Card checks all three boxes and earns 1% instant cashback on eligible purchases with a zero annual fee.

How does the Circles Zerofy Cashback Card work?

It's a Visa Platinum prepaid debit card managed through the Circles.Life app. You top it up via PayNow, use it anywhere Visa is accepted online or via contactless, and earn 1% cashback instantly on eligible transactions. For purchases through Zerofy partner merchants on the Circles.Life app, you can earn up to 27% upsized cashback. Available to active Circles.Life subscribers.